After long last and much planning, I finally embarked on a trip to LehLadakh earlier this year. The Duronto Express took me to New Delhi, from where a one and half hour flight brought one to the paradise that is Leh.

The La Tso Hotel in the city was to be my address for the next few days –– the courteous staff welcomed one with a cup of steaming hot Kashmiri kawah (local green tea with saffron, cardamom and elaichi) and the room offered a luxuriant view of the vistas around.

That done, I took a leisurely walk around the city in the evening –– it is highly recommended, especially after sundown. The next morning, I decided to take in the local sites. First up, was the Hemis Monastery –– the largest in Ladakh and stunningly beautiful! As luck would have it, the Dalai Lama was there during the time but a glimpse of His Holiness wasn’t to come by. Thereafter, one moved on to the Thiksey Monastery and the view from the top was simply beyond words.

How could one go to Ladakh and miss the Druk White Lotus School? It got national attention thanks to Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots and is now called “Rancho’s School” after the name of Khan’s character in the film! Shey Palace was my next stop –– the Hall of Fame there depicts memories of India’s brave soldiers. The morning after, one started for the Nubra Valley via Khardung La –– the highest motorable road in the world (18,380ft).

My stint outside the car to click some pictures was short-lived as the chill was bone-rattling! After a little diversion to the Siachen base camp, I arrived at Nubra Valley.

Hotel Sten-del it was but the sand dunes of Hunder was calling me. Picking up my camera, I made a beeline for the place and was richly rewarded. How can I not mention the ride on a two-humped Bactrian camel there? One word to describe the experience would be “unique”!

The road was rough but after braving it for a couple of hours, I reached Chang La –– the second highest mountain pass at 17,688 feet –– from Leh. A cup of coffee was all I had time for, there, as the Pangong Lake was waiting for my sore eyes. On the way, I crossed various infantry and artillery camps and spotted a local fauna –– wild marmots, which is a type of rodent found in the Ladakh Hills.

Finally, I was at Pangong Lake and the sight was absolutely magical. It is 134 km long –– 40 per cent is in India and rest in China.

The knee-deep water was freezing but I waded in nonetheless, not intending to miss the thrill! Another must-see site is the Tso Moriri Lake, which is a salt water lake offering breathtaking views of the Sindhu River. The famed Magnetic Hill and confluence of the Sindhu and Zanskar rivers is on the way to Kargil.

En route, I also stopped at the Lamayuru Monastery, which is an old monastery and partly in ruins due to earthquakes. It stands in a massive theatre of rocky cliffs in front of some peculiar-looking hills –– no wonder local people call it “Moon land”! I reached Kargil in the evening and visited the War Memorial there.

One learnt a great deal about the Kargil War of 1999 and I couldn’t help but express the utmost respects to the soldiers who had laid down their lives to protect our nation. On the way, one could see the mountains changing their appearance from dusty and rocky cliff faces to the rolling greenery of the Kashmir Valley.

It was the trip of a lifetime –– the harsh but undeniable beauty of the landscape in Ladakh will stay with me for many years to come.